Tokyo Electron U.S.’ subsidiary, TEL NEXX has declared a new joint development program with IBM in 3D semiconductor packaging.
TEL NEXX has teamed up with IBM R&D for several years in the development of new ideas for advanced interconnect solutions such as microbumps, lead-free bumping and interposers. Energy conscious necessities and denser packaging are driving semiconductor chip equipment and designs to accommodate and bring in more functionality because 3D structures have become a manufacturing reality.
The multi-year development program aims at fulfilling IBM's rigorous technology needs via its collaborators in the Semiconductor Research and Development Alliance. For the program, TEL NEXX will provide its cutting-edge production tools such as the Stratus for electrochemical deposition (ECD) and the Apollo for physical vapor deposition (PVD) to explore tool design and complex substrates.
TEL NEXX President, Tom Walsh informed that joining forces with IBM provides an opportunity to manufacture cutting-edge production focused technologies. The improved Apollo PVD technology offers a cost-efficient solution for deposition of barrier seeds. The Stratus ECD technology will be used in the development of 3D structures such as plating interconnects. The company aims at realizing the levels of productivity and consistency that solve issues and these aspects are now being developed in IBM’s sophisticated laboratories.
IBM's advanced server products are required to illustrate trouble-free operating life of as long as 20 years. To achieve this objective, a near-perfect processing environment delivered by the ECD and PVD production tools is required. The new development program will focus on finding solutions for these challenges.